Martha: a woman of faith who worked hard and often lost sight of what's more important

Everyone knows Martha. She often gets a bad rep as the active and pragmatic woman who was all work, work, work and never at a loss for words. There is a popular book called Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World which focuses on the busyness of Martha. As the oldest sibling, Martha was used to being in charge. She actively questioned, challenged and asked Jesus to rectify what she felt had gone wrong. Like Jacob, she wrestled with her faith. Like Job, she questioned Jesus in her suffering. Like Peter, she stumbled forward in faith despite her mistakes. Martha’s story points to what is really important in life. She learns that there is a proper time to listen to Jesus and a proper time to work for him. What is her story? Why would she focus on her work and not her guests? 

Martha lived with her brother, Lazarus, and her sister, Mary, in her home in Bethany, a village a few miles from Jerusalem. The siblings were close and intimate friends with Jesus. During one of his frequent visits, Martha becomes upset with Mary as her sister sits with Jesus and the men while Martha struggles to provide for the guests. Feeling ignored and unappreciated, Martha demanded that Jesus tell Mary to help her. She probably felt that Jesus was the only person who could get Mary on her feet and help Martha with the necessary preparations. However, Jesus did not do that. Instead, he gently rebukes Martha for her worry and focusing on the wrong things. While her properties were good, they were not the best at the time. The personal attention to her guests should be more important than the comfort she provides. Martha may have become embarrassed and startled as she did not realize that Jesus would turn the tables on her. Distracted by the need to serve, as was the custom of the day, Martha forgot to enjoy her time with her guest.

The work of women was clearly defined in Martha’s day. Women of the time kept busy with a variety of tasks from sunup and sundown. Their tasks probably included:

• Grinding grain for the daily bread, then mixing, kneading, and baking the bread

• Purchasing the meats or preparing meats from the household’s flocks for the day’s meals

• Carding, spinning and weaving threads for cloth (i.e. clothing, bedding and other uses)

• Sewing

• Drawing the day’s water

• Washing the dishes and laundry

• Teaching and disciplining the children

The list is not so different from today’s women and their responsibilities as wives and mothers. Tasks that become tedious, exhausting and overwhelming but are never not unimportant. Jesus’ words to Martha was not to mean that “women’s work” was unimportant and be left undone. However, these tasks should not take the place of daily and intimate contact with our families and the Lord. For example, when your child wants to color with you but you tell him no because there is laundry to fold. The laundry can wait for twenty minutes while you color a page with your child. I know from experience, it is easier said than done. It takes an active push to ignore certain tasks for the unplanned. 

Another interaction with Jesus, Martha greeted him with a mix of disappointment, grief and hope. After the illness and death of her brother, Martha ran to Jesus when she learned that he was approaching the village. She greets him with a complaint but faith as well. In John 11:21 says Martha greeted Jesus with “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” This statement shows that Martha deeply believed in Jesus and trusted that he came to do God’s will. What she didn’t understand is that Jesus has power over death, not just against death but over it. Through Jesus, death no longer has any power over us. We do not need to fear death any longer. Jesus responds to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). She replies that she believes and her statement reveals a woman of deep faith. 

In conclusion, the more we delve into Martha’s story, the more she looks familiar. A woman who focuses on her own activity and not openly sitting with Jesus. She pleads for fairness without realizing that her vision of fairness was in fact, unfair. Her approach made life and faith too difficult. However, she loved Jesus and was confident in his love for her. How else could she find the courage to keep pressing him for answers? As her friend, Jesus helped her stretch her faith, refocus her vision and see the power of what God can do. Jesus meets us where we are and shows us where we should be. Like Martha, we can take our complaints, our questions and our doubts directly to Jesus. We can tell him what is bothering us and ask for his guidance to deal with or respond to any situation. 

No Place Like Home: going home and a second chance romance

No Place Like Home by Jess Mastorakos is the first book in the Love in Charlotte Oaks series. A high school reunion doesn’t mean reuniting with the love of one’s life, right? The last thing Laney Cole wanted was to head to her hometown of Charlotte Oaks for her high school reunion. It’s not because she doesn’t want to see her family but because of the man she left behind when she decided to pursue her music career. When it seems impossible to avoid going home, Laney decides that she will avoid him like the plague when she gets there. However, it seems the second she is in town, she runs into him, literally. Everett Wilson has never forgotten Laney and seeing her in town is like a dream. Can he convince her to give their love a second chance? 

No Place Like Home is a sweet second chance romance. This is the first book by Jess Mastorakos and I have many more on my To Be Read list. It was a fast paced romance with a quirky small town and great family interactions. Told in dual points of view between Laney and Everett, readers will see that the fires still burn for both of them. It was just a matter of time before they could no longer deny it. I instantly loved the Cole and Wilson families. Their gentle teasing and banter reminds me of many families I know. I look forward to reading the rest of this series as well as other Jess Mastorakos books. If you love second chance romance in a small town, I recommend No Place Like Home. 

No Place Like Home is available in paperback and eBook

Marked: a young adult action adventure dystopian novel

Marked by Bridget E Baker is the first book in the Sins of Our Ancestors series. All seventeen year old Ruby Behl wants is a good career match and to kiss her long time crush, Wesley Fairchild. It seems all that any teenage girl would want. However, Ruby doesn’t live in a normal world. Ten years ago, a deadly virus nearly wiped out the human race. Transmitted through touch so even the slightest contact is strictly prohibited. During an innocent game of Spin the Bottle, Ruby gets the opportunity to kiss Wesley. After their kiss, she learns that he has been Marked. She discovers that she may be the key to finding the cure. Now it is a race against time as she must search her mysterious past for a possible cure. 

I’ve been a fan of Bridget E Baker’s adult books and through her Facebook fan group, I discovered she also wrote young adult novels. A young adult dystopian novel with Hunger Games vibes, Marked is an action filled story with a mystery and “romance.”  I enjoyed Ruby as she discovers a strength and tenacity she didn’t know she had and fights through her self-doubt. Reluctantly at first, she is accompanied by Sam who proves he is a worthy ally to have at her side. I enjoyed Ruby and Sam’s interaction with each other and they make a great team. There were quite a few twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. If you enjoy young adult dystopian stories, I recommend Marked. 

Marked is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

House on the Harbor: four sisters and one family secret

House on the Harbor by Elizabeth Bromke is the first book in the Birch Harbor series. Four sisters, dealing with the death of their mother, discover a family secret that will shock them. Kate Hannigan is in charge of her late mother’s estate. She plans to divide everything equally with her sisters. However, she doesn’t realize that her mother changed her will just before her death. During the reading of the will, she discovers one sister has been left off the will. The reason why means a family secret is forced to be revealed. Meanwhile, her sisters are dealing with their issues. Amelia is a struggling off-Broadway actress who seems to go from man to man. Megan is dealing with her pending divorce and the possibility of dating again. And Clara, the baby of the family, is about to question everything she knows to be true. 

I was intrigued by the book synopsis and looked forward to reading a story about four sisters. The story was good. The will excludes one sister, why? But as the story progresses, the secret is about to be revealed and then something stops it. Time after time after time. The secret is…oh what there’s a knock on the door or the phone rings, you get the picture. Once the secret is finally revealed, it is a total let down. And why their mother left this one sister out of the will is absolutely ridiculous. Meant to be a story with lots of twists and turn, eventually I just said enough already! By the end, I didn’t care for the characters, their lives or their relationships. Overall, I do not recommend House on the Harbor and I will not be continuing the series.  

House on the Harbor is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Cupid Season: a fake dating deal with two romance cynics

Cupid Season by Nicola Marsh is a fake dating romance. The one thing Cash and Layla agree on is they both loathe romance. When Cash needs some good PR and fast, his friend suggests he enter a Valentine’s Day competition for the country’s Most Romantic Couple and raise money for charity. There is one problem: he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Enter Layla, Cash’s gardener, who scoffs at Cash’s proposal to be his fake girlfriend for a week. After a betrayal and heartbreak, she has sworn off love and romance. But when a financial issue comes up, she can’t help but to accept his crazy plan. It’s only for a week. They could fake a loving relationship for a week. What happens when faking it becomes all too real? 

Cupid Season is a fast paced, sweet but slow burn romance. I enjoyed Cash and Layla as I share their cynicism when it comes to the hoopla around Valentine’s Day. Even as a happily married woman, I don’t enjoy the pressure and hype around the day. While a week seems like a short time frame, a lot can happen in one week. I loved Cash and Layla’s banter and their sense of competition. I also enjoyed that Cash seems to soften toward Layla first. The story also had great secondary characters that help Cash and Layla see the possibility of the good despite the risk for heartbreak. I thoroughly enjoyed Cupid Season. It was fun, sweet and a nice weekend read. If you enjoy sweet romance, I highly recommend Cupid Season. 

Cupid Season is available in paperback and eBook

Destination: Remarkable: one woman's journey from darkness to a brighter life

Destination; Remarkable: Surviving the Dark Side of Success by Mary Grothe is a memoir, autobiography of one woman’s journey from darkness to a deeper meaningful life. Raised by an alcoholic mother and abusive father in a filthy house. At fourteen years old, she watched her entire life being auctioned off as her parents fled their town. She dreamed of dancing as her ticket to freedom but when a teenage mistake causes her dream to fall, she finds herself doomed to repeat her parents’ mistakes. When she gets a job in sales, she discovers she has a knack for it and her success is sudden and overwhelming. Her success should have been her redemption but it only led her down a darker path she never imagined. Then one fateful Christmas, at rock bottom, she found Jesus. She began to turn her life around, and while not easy, Mary Grothe finds new strength to become a new success in business as well as a wife, mother and Christian. 

I had never heard of Mary Grothe but when I was offered the chance to read her memoir, I was intrigued. From a harrowing upbringing, to teenage rebellion to huge success at a young age, she thought she had finally made it. Little did she know but her demons would follow her and she slowly sank deeper. She is brutally honest about her past, her own mistakes and her journey to a healthier, fuller life. Even now, as she is in a better place, she is honest about the struggles she still has and has to actively work on in her daily life. I enjoyed her honesty especially with issues that she has risen above. Her story reminds me of a famous movie quote that states that our demons are never truly gone, we just rise above them. By acknowledging her demons, she is able to confront them with confidence. If you would like to read an inspirational story of a woman’s journey, I recommend Destination; Remarkable. 

Destination; Remarkable: Surviving the Dark Side of Success 

is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

The Grumpy Guy: grumpy-sunshine romance

The Grumpy Guy by Nicola Marsh is the first book in the Creative in Love series. Carissa Lewis owns a fairy shop and is as sunshine as her new neighbor is grumpy. She is determined to stay away from the infuriating man even though he is oh-so-gorgeous. Brody Elliot is determined to raise his young daughter, Molly. He holds a lot of guilt over the loss of her mother and is determined to protect his daughter from any heartbreak in the future. When Molly befriends Carissa, he’s wary but can’t seem to stay away and Carissa’s sunshine demeanor is getting harder and harder to fight. Can he find the strength to love again? Will her sunshine attitude clear away the storm clouds around his heart? 

Nicola Marsh is usually known for her psychological thrillers. However, she can write sweet romances. The Grumpy Guy is a sweet sunshine-grumpy romance. At first, the story seems to drag and there is no real connection between Carissa and Brody other than being neighbors. However, as Molly spends more and more time with Carissa, Brody seems to thaw a bit toward Carissa. Carissa has deep scars in her past but she refuses to let those hurts bring her down while Brody has let the past cloud his future. And Molly is a sweet and adorable child. Overall, the happy ever after ending is a bit predictable; however, sometimes one doesn’t read romance for the unpredictability. If you enjoy a sweet romance, I recommend The Grumpy Guy. 

The Grumpy Guy is available in paperback and eBook

Big Chicas Don't Cry: life, love and family

Big Chicas Don’t Cry by Annette Chavez Macias is the story of four women as they navigate love, loss and the meaning of family. Cousins Mari, Erica, Selena and Gracie are inseparable. More than cousins, more than sisters, more than just family, they are the best of friends. They share secrets, traditions and love for their family. Their idyllic childhood is shattered when Mari’s parents divorce and she moves away. Now, fifteen years later, they struggle to find the same closeness they once had. They struggle with relationships, careers and their place in the world. As rocky as their lives have become, they are shaken to the core when a beloved family member dies. When they gather together, their shared tragedy reunites them. Will they remember the lessons of life, love and family? Or has their long separation been too long to overcome? 

As September 15th begins Hispanic Heritage Month, I was looking forward to reading this story. With a gorgeous cover, Big Chicas Don’t Cry promised to be a great story. Unfortunately, I wasn’t wowed by the story. I loved the closeness of the family and their banter back and forth. What I didn’t love is the teasing and, essentially, shaming one character for being a virgin at almost thirty! Oh No! Insert eye roll. Seriously!?!? I also didn’t care for the literal tantrum one character has when a customer in front of her bought the last pastry. While disappointing, I would never embarrass myself in such a way. Of course, as a plot device, that customer becomes a very important person in her workplace. Again insert eye roll. Overall, I had high hopes for this story but was disappointed. I do not recommend Big Chicas Don’t Cry. 

Big Chicas Don’t Cry is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Off to the Races: horses, races, and romance

Off to the Races by Elsie Silver is the first book in the Gold Rush Ranch series. Vaughn Harding has taken over running the Gold Rush Ranch after the sudden death of his grandfather. He has always tried to keep a professional relationship with his employees. It has been fairly easy to keep his distance until she walked in his life. Billie Black is young but talented. She’s mouthy and takes no crap from anyone and Vaughn can’t stop thinking about her. Billie needs to prove herself as a horse trainer. When Vaughn gives her what seems to be an impossible task: training a skittish horse named Double Diablo, Billie is determined to prove him wrong. The friction between them causes a spark, a spark they can’t afford to turn into a fire. There is a lot at stark for both Vaughn and Billie. Will they risk it all for love? 

Off to the Races is a steamy romance. The attraction between Vaughn and Billie is instant but their irritation at each other overrides their desires until they can’t fight it anymore. Both Vaughn and Billie are fighting against family reputations and scandals. I enjoyed Billie’s interaction with Double Diablo as she sees what others haven’t seen or chooses to ignore. Vaughn had a lot of growing up to do as he often acted like a man child who was playing boss. I love how Billie went toe-to-toe with him and called him out. The other character I enjoyed was Hank Brandt, a mentor to both Vaughn and Billie. Overall, I enjoyed Vaughn and Billie’s story but I’m not sure if I was interested enough to continue with the series. I may pick up the other books in the future. If you enjoy a steamy romance with a ranch and horses, you might enjoy Off to the Races. 

Off to the Races is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Princess and the Player: a steamy strangers to lovers romance

Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills is the second book in the Strangers in Love series. A masquerade ball at an exclusive club where anonymity is a must. Tuck Avery, an aging wide receiver in the NFL, celebrates his 35th birthday with his friends at Decadence, the premier club in New York. Even though he doesn’t want to be there, one particular princess catches his eye. Francesca is there to forget. Forget that that night was supposed to be her wedding day. Forget that her fiancé cheated on her. She just wants to forget. With no names, no faces, they have one amazing night together, with the promise that’s all they will have. But fate has other ideas. Francesca learns that her prince is the wealthy football player that lives in the penthouse of her building. If the tabloids are to be believed, she wants nothing to do with him. Unfortunately, she has one problem: she learns she is pregnant. As their paths keep crossing and their attraction to each is obvious, can the princess and the player have a happily ever after? 

Where do I start? Princess and the Player is a steamy strangers to lovers romance. As I closed the final chapter of this story, I was unsure how I felt. I enjoyed the story but I found myself extremely frustrated at the stubborn bullheadedness of Tuck and Francesca. At one point, Francesca gets upset that Tuck had her investigated DESPITE knowing his past. Any one in his position and wealth would investigate people they are trying to get close to. It sucks; however, I understand it is in order to protect himself, not just financially but psychologically as well. Tuck is a tortured person with a trauma filled past. And yet, I felt as if Francesca was constantly trying to claim her past was far more tragic. While both pasts were traumatic, this isn’t a competition. Plus there are some timeline issues that I’m sure were for dramatic effect but it didn’t work for me. That being said, I truly did enjoy this story and I look forward to reading more in this series. If you enjoy a steamy romance, you will enjoy Princess and the Player. 

Princess and the Player is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Curvy Girls Can't Date Quarterbacks: an emotional young adult romance

Curvy Girls Can’t Date Quarterbacks by Kelse Stelting is the first book in The Curvy Girls Club series. Rory Hutton has struggled with her weight for a long time. She’s been called a big girl, “plus sized” and forced to try every diet imaginable and she can’t stand it anymore. On the day Rory gets devastating news from her doctor, Merrit Alexander, Emerson Academy’s resident Mean Girl, runs her mouth off that fat people simply need to lose weight. Rory snaps and it leads to the worst decision of her life. She bets Merrit that she can get Beckett Langley to ask her to the homecoming dance. Beckett is the school’s star quarterback with a line of girls just waiting to date him. She has had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. With the help of her fellow curvy girls, Rory sets out to get Beckett’s attention. Once she does, she learns the real Beckett. The Beckett who is more than just a great quarterback, a Beckett who feels deeper than anyone thought possible. As their relationship progresses, Rory realizes she has one big problem: Beckett doesn't know that their relationship is based on a bet. How can she tell him the truth without risking losing the first and only guy she loves? Can she prove that curvy girls deserve a happily ever after too? 

Why did I wait so long to read this book?!?!? I added it to my To Be Read list and forgot about it. Until an ad for the book popped up and reminded me. I started reading and could not put it down! I read well into the night as I was hooked on Rory and Beckett’s love story. If the story premise sounds familiar, it should. A similar storyline is the plot of the 1999 teen comedy, She’s All That. However, this story takes a deeper and more emotional turn than the movie. I was angry during the first 25% as a curvy girl and woman who has always struggled with her body image, my heart broke for Rory. I felt Rory’s pain and frustration. I laughed, sighed and grinned during the middle 50%. Beckett and Rory are perfect for each other. And I ugly cried, sobbed really, at the final 25%. It is a great story about how it can take just the right person to break through the self-doubt to find the confidence and beautiful sexiness you always hoped was there. Yes, it is a Young Adult novel with a bunch of teen drama and immaturity but there are life lessons to be learned that even adults can learn. I look forward to the rest of the series! I highly, highly, highly recommend Curvy Girls Can’t Date Quarterbacks. 

Curvy Girls Can’t Date Quarterbacks is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Steal My Heart: can a friend with benefits become Mr Right?

Steal My Heart by Savannah Kade is the first book in the Against All Odds series. Cara Larkin has waited patiently for Mr. Right. She has a checklist of the qualities she is looking for in a partner. Everything else in her life is on track. She’s about to make partner in her firm, she owns her condo and she has the bestest friends. All she needs is Mr Right. While she waits for Mr Right, she has Mr Right Now. Cara has the perfect friends with benefits arrangement with Walker Booth, who has proven to be the best lover she has ever had. Then she meets Clark Fuller, Mr Right. He has everything she needs. While Clark marks off a lot of the items from her checklist, she still feels something is missing. A twist of fate will show Cara that there’s more to Walker than meets the eye. 

Steal My Heart is a friends to lovers story that claims to “steal your heart, then your sleep. And lastly leave you ready for book two.” At first, I found the beginning to be slow. I wasn’t sure I cared for Cara. I could easily see that Clark was not the one for her and Walker was the better catch. However, having finished one book and not ready for sleep, I picked up Steal My Heart again, hoping it would relax me to sleep. Nope! The story hooked me and I read well into the night. There were many steamy moments. There were touching emotional moments. And moments I wanted to shake sense in Cara to open her eyes and truly see Walker! As I closed the pages on Steal My Heart, I was certainly ready for book 2. This story did not disappoint. I highly recommend Steal My Heart. 

Steal My Heart is available in eBook

Eggnog, Extortion and Evergreens: when a man dies in a the ER, is it a natural death or murder?

Eggnog, Extortion and Evergreens by Tonya Kappes is the fourteenth book in the Campers and Criminals Cozy Mystery series. The Christmas season is a busy time for Mae as she fills her time with the first annual Winter Festival and the slow season at the campground. However, curvy roads and freshly fallen snow hides hidden dangers as Mae gets into a car accident and falls into a coma. Mae is lucky as she wakes up with a few bruises and a concussion but the patient next to her wasn’t so lucky. Randy Lenz, a local businessman, dies from what seems to be natural causes. As Mae recovers and struggles with swirling memories of her past, present and a nagging feeling that Mr Lenz was murdered. Can she fully remember what she heard that night? Can she convince anyone else that there’s a crime to be solved? 

This story opens with a scary scene as Mae is rushed from the accident site to the ER and she drifts into and out of consciousness. Of course, overhearing a suspicious conversation about the patient next to her brings her from her coma. This story definitely had a different feel as Mae’s friends and loved ones are seemingly keeping her in the dark. Why? Mae soon finds out and she springs into action as only Mae can. I thoroughly enjoyed Mae and her determination as she heals and shows how strong she truly is. I also enjoyed the more loving way Hank is treating Mae. I smiled as he seemed to reveal a more tender side. I look forward to reading more of the fun adventures in Normal. I highly recommend Eggnog, Extortion and Evergreens as well as the previous books in this series. 

Eggnog, Extortion and Evergreens is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Claiming Carter: a steamy forbidden romance

Claiming Carter is the first book in the Waverley Wildcats series by Jennifer Bonds. Austin Reid has it all. A star quarterback with amazing talent, good looks and any woman he wants. The only thing he is missing is a national championship. When the team’s kicker is injured and the home opening game is three weeks away, he needs to find a replacement. He does so in an unorthodox way. He recruits one player from the women’s soccer team. Kennedy Carter is no jersey chaser. In fact, she hates football and football players. She is focused on finishing her degree. But with the possibility of a full-ride scholarship, she can’t refuse. Sparks fly between them from the get go. And the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore the building fire. Can Austin convince Kennedy that he is not a typical football player? 

I love the game of football. I look forward to every season with anticipation. I also love a good football romance story. Let me say that it’s hard to find. Claiming Carter has it all. It is a sweet, steamy romance with fun, witty banter and personal growth. I loved both Austin and Kennedy as individuals and as a couple. I enjoyed a glimpse, even a fictional glimpse, of a football team behind the scenes which most football fans will never see. Even when the story was predictable, it is a romance after all, but it has the great romantic moments and the grand public gesture is so incredibly sweet. Overall, I loved this story. I stayed up well into the night in order to finish it. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. If you enjoy a sweet, steamy sports romance, I highly recommend Claiming Carter. 

Claiming Carter is available in paperback and eBook

She's Up to No Good: a sudden trip leads to life changing events

She’s Up to No Good by Sara Goodman Confino is a story of a sudden trip that leads to life changing events for two women. After four years of marriage, Jenna is blindsided when her husband asks for a divorce. With time on her hands and her life at a crossroads, she agrees to accompany Evelyn, her eccentric maternal grandmother, on a road trip to the family’s seaside Massachusetts hometown. As they hit the road, Evelyn begins a story of her star-crossed teenage romance with a young man named Tony. A story that she has hidden deep in her heart for seventy years as the events had changed the course of her life. When they arrive, Jenna meets Joe, Tony’s great-nephew. As their new friendship grows, Jenna begins to gain the confidence to find a new perspective and put her broken life back together. She learns that healing can come at the unexpected moments in a woman's life. 

I purchased She’s Up to No Good as a part of Amazon’s First Reads program. I love stories that intertwine past and present relationships. It was described as a “funny, poignant, and life-affirming novel about family, secrets, and broken hearts” However, a few chapters in and I was bored. I didn’t care for Jenna and Evelyn. Jenna is so annoyingly whiny for a woman who is supposed to be 34 years old. Evelyn is described as feisty but it comes across as downright mean. She doesn’t care who she hurts or manipulates. I did not find any of the situations funny that were supposed to be “funny.” If anything I was cringed more than I laughed. The story is also way too long. Sixty-two chapters of drawn out drama and family secrets. Overall, I was bored and did not care for either woman and her personal journey. I do not recommend She’s Up to No Good. 

She’s Up to No Good is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook